Tempo Run
This did not go entirely to plan. This past week has been wet, rainy and damp. That means that the trail is slippery. Today started out well, we did a two mile warmup run and then our drills, then headed out for a nice tempo run. This time, the idea was to accellerate each mile until we reached an 80% effort for the last one, keeping good form throughout.
I headed off too fast as usual, but was then able to slow it down and concentrate on my breathing, my arms, my stride, and my not tripping and falling over any of the little rivulets that had formed in the gravel of the trail. It has been very wet here. Did the first mile in about 9:00, the second in 8:45, right on target (times from memory - my watch is in the car). I really started to pick it up on mile three, and got about a quarter of a mile through it when I slipped on a patch of wet, muddy gravel.
Twisted my ankle.
The first piece of good news is that it doesn’t seem to be too bad. It only swelled up 1/4″ or so, and its already going down with just a little ice. Its feeling better than it did earlier today as well. The second piece of good news is that even though I alternated between walking and running very slowly to get back, I still finished the four miles at under a 10:00 pace. Its not much, but I’ll take it.
It was more frustrating because the way out was pretty miserable - wet, humid, etc - but I was really coming into the running nicely right when it got me. If it hadn’t, I think that I could have done the last mile at 8:00 with no problems, just from the way I felt. But that’s easy for me to say, I guess - I didn’t do it. Next time…
So. No more running for me until Sunday, when I’m going to try to do about 9 miles on foot and another 20-30 on the bike. But that’s all going to be subject to the ankle - I learned my lesson last year about ignoring pain and hoping that it will go away.
Running miles: 5.75
Popularity: 2%
Jun 10th 2004
9:31 AM
yes, that is the wise thing to do for sure. Take care of that ankle!
Jun 10th 2004
9:40 AM
Yikes! I hope your ankle gets better quickly.
Jun 10th 2004
10:34 PM
Hey there! Thanks for the comment you posted to my site. No, I dont run in a particular group, just with friends occasionally because of my crazy schedule. Do you run in a group? Maybe I can join?? I’m not too sure what my time on a 5k or 10k are since I have never timed for a 5 or 10k…actually, I never have run a 5 or 10k race…only half marathons and marathons….i look forward to chatting with ya.
Jun 11th 2004
5:28 AM
I hope it’s feeling better by now, Richard. One of the many things I’ve already learned from you and others is to not obsess but pay attention to pain. Hope you are back on the road on Sunday.
Jun 11th 2004
12:15 PM
Argh! I hate when c-r-a-p like that happens! But you’re being smart about it!
Jun 11th 2004
3:06 PM
Ouch! Swelling of any kind sounds like a bad sign. Stay off that ankle until its all happy again. Do your CIRC: Compression, Ice, Rest, Chocolate. Uh, well, elevation can be sustituted for chocolate but I don’t prefer it.
Jun 11th 2004
4:52 PM
Jon, I’m eating chocolate today …er…uh for my hip. I KNEW there was a good reason!
Jun 12th 2004
8:58 PM
That sucks, Richard! Hope your ankle gets better soon.
Jun 13th 2004
1:01 PM
Hey, Michael. For speedwork I run with an organized group, Gilbert’s Gazelles (they have info at runtex or feel free to email me - richard@). For long runs, I normally run by myself but I know a lot of people who meet up by the rock (near the MoPac stretching area) on Saturday mornings. If you let me know what you’re looking for, I can probably find a group who does it :)
Jun 13th 2004
1:04 PM
On the ankle - I think its fine now. I decided against a run this morning for safety, but I’m going to do 20 miles of stop-n-go biking (pre-running the Urban Assault race area) in a couple of hours. My wife and I took the dogs to McKinney Falls park this morning, where we did some gentle hiking (about four miles). It was warm, but nice, and my ankle did fine. I felt a couple of knee twinges going up stairs though, so that’s sometime I’ll be keeping an eye on over the next few weeks.
Jun 13th 2004
3:28 PM
It’s amazing to me how we get so in tune and maybe even a little TOO (?)) in tune with every “twinge” as you put it. Not saying you are oversensitive Richard but I know that as a group distance runners in particular can be close to obsessive. I suppose that is because most of us have at one time or another suffered an injury that slowed us down or sidelined us and it is NO FUN!
Jun 14th 2004
8:14 PM
Um, I didn’t read this until late so, “what they said.”
And keep us posted on that urban assault business.